Type-writing machine.



e. LATTA. TYPE WRITING MACHINE- APPLICATlON FILED AUG-18, 1-915 7 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Patented July 30, 1918.

E. G LATTA.- TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1915.

Patented July 30,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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EMMIT G. LATTA, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TYPE-VJRITING I MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgatag nfiggd J 1 30 11918 Application filed August 18, 1915. Serial No. 46,063. v

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, EMMiT G. LATTA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and. State of New York, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Type-Whiting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to front-strike typewriting machines of that kind in which the type-bar segment or support, instead of the platen, is shifted for printing different case characters, the object of the invention being to provide an ethcient and practical universal bar mechanism for-such machines in which the type-bars act directly on the universal bar and produce like action thereof in the different printing positions of the type-bars, and to accomplish this by means which are as simple and capable of as rapid operation universal bar I mechanisms used in machines in which the platen is shifted for different case printing.

' In the accompanying drawings:

. tional elevation of a typewrit-ing machine modification.

' rearwardly to make the impressions at the The drawings illustrate a portion of a front strike typewriting machine in which A represents the stationary main frame, a the rigidly secured top plate thereof, B the ,platen, C the type-bars and D the segment or support on which the type-bars are pivotally mounted to swing upwardly and front side of' the platen. The platen is journaled in- "a carriage of any suitable construction arranged to travel in letter spacing direction on a suitable stationary guide or track, such as shown at b, on the top plate a, of the frame. b b represent two adjustablc"track bars which are mounted to travel on" anti-friction balls on the track band carry the various parts of 7 the carriage which, for the sake of simplifysegment D but they could be pivotally ing the drawings, are not shown.

, As shown in the drawings, the type-bars are pivoted by a wire d-in slots d in the Figure l is a fragmentary transverse secmounted on the segment by separate hangers, such as commonly employed, or in any other suitable way, and any suitable kind of plain or anti-friction bearings for the type-bars can be used.

The segment is suitably mounted in the machine to shift up and down for placing one or another of the difierent sets of type on the type-bars in printing relation to the platen. As shown, the segment is provided with lugs c pivoted to the front ends of arms E projecting forwardly from a rock shaft F which is journalcd on the main frame and is adapted to be rocked by suitable means (not shown) for shifting the segment from one to the other of its different operative positions. Anti-friction balls 9 working in grooves g in the ends of the segment and in grooves g in the sides of the main frame cooperate with the rock arms E in holding the segment upright and guiding it in its vertical movements.

H, Figs. 1 and 2 represents a universal bar which is carved on a radius adapting it to stand upright above the pivoted ends of the type-bars in position to be struck and moved by projections or. parts 72. on the pivot ends of the type-bars whenthe type-bars approach the platen. Preferably the universal bar consists of a sheet metal stamping of crescent-like shape, decreasing in width toward its ends and having stifi'ening flanges h projecting from the inner and outer edges thereof. The universal bar is supported from the fixed frame of the machine so as to move substantially horizontally or perpendicularly to the direction in which the segment shifts, preferably by rigid arms 2' which project substantially horizontally from the bar and each of which is pivoted to a pair of parallel swinging links 1" and 2' arranged one in rear of the; other. The two' links 2" are fixed to and depend from a horizontal rock shaft 1, and the other links i are preferably secured to and depend from a second rock shaft 1. These rock shafts are suitably journaled parallel with each other on the underside of the top plate a.- The universal baristhus adapted to move substantially horizontallyor perpendicw larly to the plane in which the type-bar pivots are located, and is always maintained parallel with such plane, and, as shown, the

bar is arranged so that itsfront face moves from a plane in front of the plane of the type-bar pivots to a plane in rear thereof.

crnms they etl'cct lik, movements of the universal bar in both positions of the segment. The projections on the four type-bars indicated in Fig. 1 strike the universal bar at the points marked 1 when the segment is in lower case position, and at the points marked 2 when the segment is shifted to upper case position. The remaining bars of the series will strike at correspondingly related points on the universal bar. This arrangement enables the type-bars on a shit'table segment to.

actuate the universal bar with the same uniformity and speed that has herelotore been attained with type-bars mounted on a fixed segment. and'the simple ribbon vibrator and other {H vantages pertaining to the shifting segment construition are obtained with a. universal bar actuated by the direct impact of the type-bars.

K represents the carriage escapelneut and L the ribbon vibrator, both of which are actuated by the universal bar. These devices may be constructed and operatively connected to the universal bar in any suitable way. As shown, the rock shaft- 1 is provided with a rearwardly projecting arm connected to a link is which trips the escapement, and a forwardly projecting arm I connected by a link Z and lever Z to the ribbon vib ator. The ribbon vibrator has a rearwardly bent lower end entering a notch in the front end of the vibrator 16 t' 2 and is guided. as usual. by the rear face of the center guide M for the typebars which has a rearwardly bent lower portion 77:. secured to the underside of the lop plate (1 and a down-turned rear end that supporls the pivot m for the vibrator lever l.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and at is substantially the same as that above described except that the type-bars have flatfaccd lugs It and strike t'm'wardlv pro jecting edge flanges it" on the universal bar H.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a universal bar H arranged to be struck on its edge by the type-bars, which are made with a straightinner edge portion h lone enough to strike the universal bar in both positions of the segment. These straight edge portions It are made so that they will be parallel with the plane of the trout edge of the universal bar when the type-bars are at the printing point or in contact with the platen, as indicated in Fig. (3, thus causing, the typeliars to move the universal bar back the same dis;

tance in both, positions of the segment not-- withstanding the fact that the type-bars engage the universal bar at different distances from their fulcrums in the two positions of thesc ment.

The universal bars in the two modified constructions shown in Figs. 3 and 4t and Figs. 5 and 6 are supported from the sta tionary frame of the machine, as explained in connection with the first, construction described.

Obviously thc construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is adapted for use with a shifting segment having three operative positions. by making the universal bar of greater width and locating the projections 7L farther from the fulcrums ot' the type-bars. The construction shown in Figs. 3 and a can also be used with a segment having three operative positions by making it of the necessary width and providing it witlra third forwardly projecting"-.-ib between the two edge ribs or flanges and lbcating, the projections /1." of the type-{wars farther from their fulcrums. To adapt the construction shown in Figs. 5 and (t for machines in which the egment, shift to two positions from normal.

it is only necessary to raise-the universal bar and lengthen the straight edge-portion /L"'- of the type-bar; or in case the segment shifts both up and down from the normal position it is only necessary to lengthen the straight edge it of the type-bar.

The dcseri bed constructions cause the typebars to strike the universal bar a smart, blow when at their greatest speed of travel just betore they strike the platen, and thus avoid the friction and sluggish action of a camn'iing contact.

l. claim as my invention:

1. in a typewritinganachine. the combination with a series of upwardly and rean wardly swinging type-bars pivotally mounted in an arc, and a common shiltable support, (or placing the type-bars in. ditl'erent case printing positions, ot an arc-shaped universal baiof smaller radius than the arc of the type-bar pivots mounted on a stationary part of the machine in position to intercopl-v the type-bars substantially inthe plane of their pivots in both their normal and shifted positions.

2. in a typewriting machine, the combination with a series of upwardly and rearwardly swinging type-ha rs pivotally mounted on a common curved support which is slii'tlable to, place the type-bars in different ease printing positions, and a platen. of a mu-veil universal bar mounted independently of said support to inte1cept 'the type-bars in both their normal and shifted positions substantially in the plane of their pivots and to be moved by the type-bars in a direction substantially at rig angles to said plane.

3. in a t vpewritun;- machine, the combination with a series of type-bars pivotally mounted in an are on a common segmental support which is shiftable for placing the type-bars in different case printing positions, of a universal bar curved on a smalleran arc and which is 'shiftable in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the type-bar pivots for placing the type-bars in different case printing positions, of a universal bar which is curved substantially parallel with the arc of the type-barpivots and issupported independently of said segment between the type-bar pivots and the printing point in a plane substantially parallel with he plane of the type-bar pivots and in position to be struck by the type-bars in the last portion of their travel and to be moved. thereby in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane.

5. In a typewriting machine, the co1nbination with a series of upwardly and rearwardly swinging type-bars, and a support therefor which is shiftalole for placing the type-bars in different case printing positions, of'a curved universal l ar and a device which is actuated thereby ai ithetype strokes both mounted independently cfthe type-bar support with the universal bar substantially parallel with thethre oljlhe type-bar pivots and in position tob'easlii-tck and actuated by the type-bars whenin lithe'ir hormal and shifted positions-e I 6. in a typew-ritt,g-msihhine, the combination with a seriesgoffupwardlyand rearwardly swinging type-hi1rs, acommon support therefor on which the type-bars are pivoted in an arc and which is shiftablefor placing the type-bars in dilferent case printing positions,';and a stationary main frame, of a curved ruiiversal bar located substantially in the plane of the type-bar pivots and a device ii'hich is actuated thereby at the type-strokes both mounted on the main frame independently of the type-bar support with'the universal bar in position to be actuated by the type-bars when in both their normal and shifted positions.

7. in a typewriting machine, the combination with a series of typebars, and a common supporting segment therefor on which the type-bars are pivoted in an arc ahrlwhich is shiftahle for placing the typebars in different case printing positions, of a segmental universal bar mounted hide pendently of said segment substantially in the plane of the type-bar pivots in position to be moved by the type-bars in both their normal and shifted positions, the relative construction and arrangementof the typebars and universal bar causingequal movements of the universal bar in the different positions of the type-bars.

Y 8 In a typewriting machine, the combinat on with a series of pivoted type-bars, and a supporting segment therefor which is shiftable for placing the type-bars in difl' erent caseprinting positions, of a segmental universal bar mounted independently of said segment between the type-bar pivots and the printing point in position to be struck by the type-bars in the last portion of their travel when in both their normal and shifted positions and at the same distance from their fulcra. V I 9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with aseries of type-bars, and a common supporting segment therefor on which the type-bars are pivoted in an arc' and which is shiftable for placing the type- .bars in difierent case printing positions, of a segmental universal bar of smaller radius 'thanthe arc of the type-oar pivots mounted independently of said segment in position to be struck and moved by the type-bars and being of a width sutlicient to be struck by the same part of the type-bars in the different positions thereof.

10. In a typewritinig machine, the 'combi: nation with a series of type-bars each provided with a projection, and a supporting segment for the type-bars which is shiftable for placing the type-bars in different case printing positions, of a segmental universal bar mounted independently of said segment in a substantially fixed location between the 1 type-bar pivots and the printing point and hem of a width to be struck by said projections in the different positions of the typebars. y 11.. In a typewritingmaclnne, the combination with a series of type-bars, and a supporting segment on which the type-bars are pivoted and which is shiftable for placing the type-bars in different case printing. poa

sitions, of a segmental universal bar mount.-

ed independentl of said segment in position to be struc bythe type-bars at 'substantially'equal distances from their pivots in both their normal and shifted positions, said universal bar having stiffening flanges at its inner and outer edges.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with a series of type-bars, and a segment on which all of the type-bars are pivoted and which is shiftable for placing the type-bars in different case printing positions, of curved universal bar mounted independently of said segment in position to be moved by the type-bars in both their 

